Loading mechanism improvement

ABSTRACT

A mechanism is disclosed for handling a bag for electrographic toner, which bag is shaped with closed elongated opposite ends running transverse to each other, one such end having secured thereto a rigid member having portions overlapping the bag. The bag is received by a loading mechanism having a pair of rails for supporting the overlapping portions of the rigid member and a saw for rupturing a lower portion of the bag as the bag is moved by a pusher along the rails. The pusher moves the bag from a receiving position to a position over a toner reservoir where the bag is emptied and stored with other used bags until removed fro disposal. The bag is inserted into the receiving position through an opening which is shaped to assure proper orientation of the bag in the mechanism.

United States Patent [451 Mar. 28, 1972 Albert [54'] LOADING MECHANISM IMPROVEMENT [72] Inventor: Donald J.Albert, Rochester, NY. [73] Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester,

[22] Filed: Dec. 15,1970

Appl. No.: 98,451

Related U.S. Application Data Continuation of Ser. No. 756,517, Aug. 30, 1968, abandoned.

' References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Ellms et a1. 141/364 Primary Examiner-Houston S. Bell, Jr.

[57] ABSTRACT A mechanism is disclosed for handling a bag for electrograp'hic toner, which bag is shaped with closed elongated opposite endsrunning transverse to each other, one such end having secured thereto a rigid member having portions overlapping the bag. The bag is received by a loading mechanism having a pair of rails for supporting the overlapping portions of the rigid member and a saw for rupturing a lower portion of the bag as the bagis moved by a pusher along the rails. The pusher moves the bag from a receiving position to a position over a toner reservoir where the bag is emptied and stored with other used bags until removed fro disposal. The bag is inserted into the receiving position through an opening which is shaped to assure proper orientation of the bag in the mechanism.

13 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEDMARZB I972 SHEET 2 BF 2 INVENTOR.

DONALD J. ALBERT ATTORNEYS LOADING MECHANISM IMPROVEMENT This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 756,517, filed Aug. 30, 1968, now abandoned.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS Reference is made to commonly assigned cofiled US. Pat. application Ser. No. 756,607, entitled-Loading Mechanism filed in the name of Conrad Altmann.

Reference is also made to commonly assigned cofiled US. Pat. application Ser. No. 756,608, entitled Package filed in the name of D. J. Albert.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to particulate material handling mechanisms, for example, to mechanisms usable in loading dry toner into an electrographic apparatus.

In electrographic apparatus using dry toner powder, such toner must be replaced periodically. Common commercial toners present considerable difficulty to handling both because they blacken everything they touch and because they are extremely difficult to thoroughly empty from any container. Disposable toner containers presently in use generally are opened by an operator and emptied into a dispensing mechanism in electrographic apparatus. Complete emptying of toner from such containers into a dispenser by hand without excessive blackening of person and clothing is a delicate operation in which failure is common.

Many toner containers have been designed which are adapted to be inserted into a machine where they function as dispensing containers. Insertion of such prior containerdispensers has commonly involved operator handling of the container in the actual dispensing area with the attendant blackening of person and clothing. Because such containers must also function as part of a dispenser, they have been of complex design and expensive to manufacture.

Other toner containers have been designed, which, when inserted in a machine, are opened by the machine and emptied of toner into a separate dispensing mechanism. These have an advantage over other prior toner containers of reducing the risk to the operator of blackening his person and clothing on insert. However, such containers have generally been of complex design involving complicated couplings with the machine itself and including mechanisms for assuring thorough emptying of the container. Because of such complexities, the container is commonly removed when empty for reuse, with a risk at that point of blackening the operators person or clothing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of this invention to provide a toner-loading mechanism which will receive toner packaged in a container of simple and inexpensive construction and empty such toner into a dispenser with a maximum of convenience and a minimum of risk of blackening the person and clothing of the operator.

This and other objects are accomplished by a toner-loading mechanism adapted to receive a rupturable bag of toner, which bag is constructed with a rigid elongated member along its top with both ends of the elongated member overlapping the bag. The toner-loading mechanism has a pair of rails for receiving the overlapping portions of the rigid member allowing the rupturable bag to hang down into a bag nest. A suitable means is provided to push the bag along the rails into engagement with a means for rupturing the bag, for example, a rotating saw, and then to push the bag to a position over a toner reservoir into which the toner empties. Room can be provided for used bags to accumulate on the rails for periodic removal by a serviceman.

It is an inventive feature of a preferred embodiment of this invention that the cutting portion of the saw is dull, for example, the cutting edge presented when an ordinary saw is run backwards, to rupture the bag with a gradual compression of that portion contacted by the saw rather than with a jagged ripping motion as when the saw is run its normal direction.

This feature of the invention operates best with a bag of toner which is gradually presented to the saw for severing, for example, with a bag the lower portion of which is elongated in the direction of the rails.

It is another inventive feature of a preferred embodiment of this invention that the receiving portion of the mechanism is provided with a top having an opening through which the bag is inserted, which opening is shaped so that the bag can be inserted only if it is oriented for proper positioning on the rails.

A remarkable thing about this mechanism is that it allows an unskilled operator to insert toner into an electrographic machine at regular intervals without blackening the operator's person or clothing while using a toner container of extremely simple and inexpensive construction which container, when empty, can be removed from the machine periodically by a serviceman with a minimum of inconvenience.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS package or bag of toner DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIG. I, electrographic toner is packaged in a container or bag 1 made of a rupturable material such as polyethylene and having essentially four triangular-shaped sides 2, 3, 4 and 5. A bag of this shaped can be made in several manners. For example, it can be made by joining together in seams four triangular-shaped pieces of polyethylene, although it can be seen that sides 3 and 5 could be made of the same piece of material folded in the middle. However, with a pliable material like polyethylene the bag can be constructed from a single piece by first forming a tube or cylinder of the material and then seaming the open ends in transverse directions. Thus, with a tube of polyethylene a seam 7 is formed at the bottom, it is filled with toner, and a seam 8 is applied to the top. An elongated rigid member 10 is then attached along the top seam 8. The rigid member 10 can be made of folded cardboard stapled to the bag along the top seam 8. The rigid member 10 has end portions 11 and 12 which extend outwardly beyond the top seam 8, thereby overlapping it. These overlapping portions can have detents 13 and 14 formed in their bottom edges. The remarkable advantages in the use of a bag so constructed will become apparent as the mechanism for receiving and using the bag is described below.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, a mechanism is illustrated for receiving the container 1 illustrated in FIG. 1. A housing 16 includes a top plate 17 having an opening 43 through which the bag is dropped, which opening will be more fully described below with regard to FIG. 4. In the housing 16 is a bag nest 18 which is shaped to receive the lower part of the container 1. Attached to opposite sides of housing 16 are a pair of guide rails 19 and 20 for receiving the overlapping portions 11 and 12 of the container 1,-detents l3 and 14 cooperating with the upper portions of the rails 19 and 20. When the bag has been inserted through the opening 43, its weight is supported primarily by the rails 19 and 20. It also may or may not rest partially on the bag nest 18.

Mounted in the bag nest 18 is a movable pusher 21. The pusher has two opposing side plates 22 and 23 positioned in the same direction as guide rails 19 and 20. The side plates 22 and 23 are coupled by a connecting member 24 shaped to loosely fit a cross section of the bag nest 18. Connected to the connecting member 24 are two pushing arms 25 and 26 which extend upward to a position adjacent the top of the rails 19 and 20. The bag nest 18 has outer portions 27 and 28 which form guide slots. The side plates 22 and 23 are slidably mounted between the guide slots 27 and 28 and lower portions of receiving rails 19 and 20. Movement of the side plates is effected by a pair of chain drives 29 and 30 having pins 31 riding in slots 32 in the side plates.

A saw 33 is mounted in an opening in the bag nest 18. A slot 34 is provided in the connecting member 24 so that the pusher 21 can be pushed past the saw 33.

Referring to FIG. 4, the top plate 17 contains an opening 43 which is shaped to inhibit insertion of the container 1 in any manner except the proper orientation for positioning the overlapping portions 11 and 12 of the rigid member on the rails 19 and 20. A hinged door 35 covering the top plate 17 is made openable by a suitable latching means, not shown, only when the pusher is in the retracted position shown in FIG. 3 for receiving a bag.

In operation, a bag is inserted through the opening 43 with the overlapping portions 11 and 12 of the rigid member 10 resting on the guide rails 19 and and the lower portion of the bag fitting the bag nest 18 in front of the pusher connecting member 24. After the door has been closed, the operator closes a switch, not shown, starting a motor 36 which turns a drive shaft 39 on which is mounted a timing belt 38 coupled to a drive saw shaft 37 upon which the saw 33 is mounted. A pair of timing belts 40 is coupled between the drive shaft 39 and the chain drives 29 and 30.

The chain drives move the pusher from a position below the opening 43 toward the position over a tone reservoir 41. The bag is pushed by the pusher arms 25 and 26 which engage the rigid member 10 and by the pusher connecting member 24 which engages the lower portion of the bag. As the bag is pushed toward a position over the toner reservoir 41, it engages the saw 33 which ruptures the lower portion of the bag and allows toner to empty into the reservoir. As the chain drive continues to run, the direction of motion of the pusher is reversed and it returns to its original position where it stops either by action ofa timing device on motor 36 or a switch to motor 36 actuated by return of the pusher 21, but the rigid member 10 is restrained from return movement by a detent 42 on the rails downstream from the detent 42 from which they may be removed periodically, for example, once a month, by a serviceman. An individual empty bag is moved further downstream with each cycle.

Use of the device described herein has exceptional and unexpected advantages. Ordinary engagement between a polyethylene bag and a saw will rupture the bag in a generally uneven shredding manner and require substantial power in the saw. With the mechanism disclosed herein, a dull-bladed saw, for example, a saw run in a direction reverse from that ordinarily used, is moved gradually along an edge of the bag. This gradual, edgewise movement causes incremental engagement by the saw cutting edge with the bag with the dull blade stretching the polyethylene until it severes giving a clean slit along the bottom of the bag and a minimum of small particles of the bag deposited in the reservoir with toner. Considerably less power is required in the saw with this arrangement than if the saw engaged a complete side of the bag at one time with an ordinary cutting edge designed to rip the bag. Proper orientation of the bag, of course, is maintained by the feature of the shaped opening in the top plate. Easy removal of empty bags by a serviceman is assisted by the fact the bags merely are hanging from a pair of rails in the machine.

The invention has been described in detail with particular reference to preferred embodiments thereof, but it will be understood that variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the invention as described hereinabove and as defined in the appended claims.

lclaim:

1. ln electrographic apparatus, a mechanism for facilitating utilization of a rupturable bag of electrographic toner of the type having a rigid elongated member secured to an upper end thereof and with opposite end portions of the elongated member overlapping the bag, said mechanism comprising:

toner reservoir means located in said electrographic apparatus,

elongated means located in said electrographic apparatus for receiving and movably supporting the overlapping portions of a received bag, said elongated means extending from a bag receiving location to a bag emptying location spaced from said bag receiving location and over said reservoir means,

means for rupturing said bag located along the path of movement of a supported bag from said receiving location to said emptying location, and

means for moving a supported bag through a path from said bag receiving location into engagement with said rupturing means and to said emptying location thereby emptying said bag into said reservoir means.

2. The mechanism according to claim 1 wherein said elongated means includes a pair of rails for receiving in slidable engagement said overlapping portions.

3. The mechanism according to claim 2 wherein said rails include detent means for restricting movement of said overlapping portions in a direction from said emptying location to said receiving location, whereby said bag remains on said rails over said reservoir means when empty though said moving means is returned to said receiving location.

4. The mechanism according to claim 1 wherein said moving means includes a pair of members slidable in a direction parallel to said elongated means, a member interconnecting said slidable members for pushing a lower portion of said bag and a pair of arms extending upward from said interconnecting member to push said rigid elongated member of said bag.

5. The mechanism according to claim 1 including:

a housing located at said receiving location and having an opening shaped to receive passage of said bag only if said bag is oriented to position said overlapping portions of said rigid elongated member on said elongated means.

6. In electrographic apparatus, a mechanism for facilitating utilization of a rupturable bag of electrographic toner, said bag being of the type having an upper portion and a lower portion, said lower portion having an elongated lower extremity formed by the linear intersection of two sides, said mechanism comprising:

toner receiving means located in said apparatus,

means for supporting the upper portion of said bag with said elongated lower extremity lying along a first direction,

a rotatable saw located in said apparatus, and

means for moving the bag, supported on said supporting means, in said first direction into engagement with said saw so that said saw engages and ruptures said bag along said elongated lower extremity thereby emptying said toner into said receiving means.

7. The mechanism according to claim 6 including means for rotating said saw in a direction presenting a dull, nonshredding cutting surface of said saw to said bag.

8. In electrographic apparatus, a mechanism for facilitating utilizing a rupturable bag of electrographic toner, which bag has a rigid elongated member secured to an upper extremity of said bag with opposite end portions of said elongated member overlapping said bag and said bag has an elongated lower extremity running in a direction transverse to said rigid elongated member, said mechanism comprising:

a housing located on said apparatus and having an opening for passage of said bag,

toner reservoir means located in said apparatus,

a pair of rails located in said apparatus for supporting said overlapping portions of said rigid elongated member, said rails extending from a position below said opening to a position over said reservoir means,

a saw located in said apparatus and mounted for rotation in a plane parallel to said rails, and

means for moving a supported bag along said rails from a position under said opening so that the lower extremity of said bag moves into and through gradual engagement between the lower extremity of the bag and said saw and onto a position over said reservoir means thereby emptying toner in the bag into said reservoir means.

9. In electrographic apparatus, a mechanism for facilitating utilization of a rupturable bag of electrographic toner of the type having a rigid elongated member secured to an upper end thereof and with opposite end portions of the elongated member each having a supporting means thereon, said mechanism comprising:

toner reservoir means located in said electrographic apparatus,

elongated means located in said electrographic apparatus for receiving and movably supporting a received bag by its supporting means, said elongated means extending from a bag receiving location to a bag emptying location spaced from said bag receiving location and over said reservoir means,

means, located along the path of movement of a supported bag from said receiving location to said emptying location, for rupturing a supported bag and means for moving a supported bag through a path from said bag receiving location into engagement with said rupturing means and to said emptying location thereby emptying toner from a ruptured bag into said reservoir means.

10. The mechanism according to claim 9 wherein said elongated means includes a pair of rails for receiving in slidable engagement the supporting means of such bag.

11. The mechanism according to claim 10 wherein said rails include detent means for restricting movement of a supported bag in a direction from said emptying location to said receiving location, whereby said bag remains on said rails over said reservoir means when empty though said moving means is returned to said receiving location.

12. The mechanism according to claim 9 including:

a housing located at said receiving location and having an opening shaped to receive passage of such a toner bag only if the bag is oriented to position the supporting means of the bag in proper cooperative relation with said elongated means of said apparatus.

13. in electrographic apparatus, a mechanism for facilitating utilizing a rupturable bag of electrographic toner, which bag has a rigid elongated member secured to an upper extremity thereof with opposite end portions of the elongated member having support means thereon and which bag has an elongated lower extremity running in a direction transverse to its rigid elongated member, said mechanism comprising:

a housing located on said apparatus and having an opening for passage of such bag,

toner reservoir means located in said apparatus,

a pair of rails located in said apparatus for supporting such bag by the support means of its rigid elongated member, said rails extending from a position below said opening to a position over said reservoir means,

a saw located in said apparatus and mounted for rotation in a plane parallel to said rails, and

means for moving a supported bag along said rails from a position under said opening so that the lower extremity of the supported bag moves into and through gradual engagement between the lower extremity of the supported bag and said saw and onto a position over said reservoir means thereby emptying toner in the supported bag into said reservoir means. 

1. In electrographic apparatus, a mechanism for facilitating utilization of a rupturable bag of electrographic toner of the type having a rigid elongated member secured to an upper end thereof and with opposite end portions of the elongated member overlapping the bag, said mechanism comprising: toner reservoir means located in said electrographic apparatus, elongated means located in said electrographic apparatus for receiving and movably supporting the overlapping portions of a received bag, said elongated means extending from a bag receiving location to a bag emptying location spaced from said bag receiving location and over said reservoir means, means for rupturing said bag located along the path of movement of a supported bag from said receiving location to said emptying location, and means for moving a supported bag through a path from said bag receiving location into engagement with said rupturing means and to said emptying location thereby emptying said bag into said reservoir means.
 2. The mechanism according to claim 1 wherein said elongated means includes a pair of rails for receiving in slidable engagement said overlapping portions.
 3. The mechanism according to claim 2 wherein said rails include detent means for restricting movement of said overlapping portions in a direction from said emptying location to said receiving location, whereby said bag remains on said rails over said reservoir means when empty though said moving means is returned to said receiving location.
 4. The mechanism according to claim 1 wherein said moving means includes a pair of members slidable in a direction parallel to said elongated means, a member interconnecting said slidable members for pushing a lower portion of said bag and a pair of arms extending upward from said interconnecting member to push said rigid elongated member of said bag.
 5. The mechanism according to claim 1 including: a housing located at said receiving location and having an opening shaped to receive passage of said bag only if said bag is oriented to position said overlapping portions of said rigid elongated member on said elongated means.
 6. In electrographic apparatus, a mechanism for facilitating utilization of a rupturable bag of electrographic toner, said bag being of the type having an upper portion and a lower portion, said lower portion having an elongated lower extremity formed by the linear intersection of two sides, said mechanism comprising: toner receiving means located in said apparatus, means for supporting the upper portion of said bag with said elongated lower extremity lying along a first direction, a rotatable saw located in said apparatus, and means for moving the bag, supported on said supporting means, in said first direction into engagement with said saw so that said saw eNgages and ruptures said bag along said elongated lower extremity thereby emptying said toner into said receiving means.
 7. The mechanism according to claim 6 including means for rotating said saw in a direction presenting a dull, nonshredding cutting surface of said saw to said bag.
 8. In electrographic apparatus, a mechanism for facilitating utilizing a rupturable bag of electrographic toner, which bag has a rigid elongated member secured to an upper extremity of said bag with opposite end portions of said elongated member overlapping said bag and said bag has an elongated lower extremity running in a direction transverse to said rigid elongated member, said mechanism comprising: a housing located on said apparatus and having an opening for passage of said bag, toner reservoir means located in said apparatus, a pair of rails located in said apparatus for supporting said overlapping portions of said rigid elongated member, said rails extending from a position below said opening to a position over said reservoir means, a saw located in said apparatus and mounted for rotation in a plane parallel to said rails, and means for moving a supported bag along said rails from a position under said opening so that the lower extremity of said bag moves into and through gradual engagement between the lower extremity of the bag and said saw and onto a position over said reservoir means thereby emptying toner in the bag into said reservoir means.
 9. In electrographic apparatus, a mechanism for facilitating utilization of a rupturable bag of electrographic toner of the type having a rigid elongaged member secured to an upper end thereof and with opposite end portions of the elongated member each having a supporting means thereon, said mechanism comprising: toner reservoir means located in said electrographic apparatus, elongated means located in said electrographic apparatus for receiving and movably supporting a received bag by its supporting means, said elongated means extending from a bag receiving location to a bag emptying location spaced from said bag receiving location and over said reservoir means, means, located along the path of movement of a supported bag from said receiving location to said emptying location, for rupturing a supported bag and means for moving a supported bag through a path from said bag receiving location into engagement with said rupturing means and to said emptying location thereby emptying toner from a ruptured bag into said reservoir means.
 10. The mechanism according to claim 9 wherein said elongated means includes a pair of rails for receiving in slidable engagement the supporting means of such bag.
 11. The mechanism according to claim 10 wherein said rails include detent means for restricting movement of a supported bag in a direction from said emptying location to said receiving location, whereby said bag remains on said rails over said reservoir means when empty though said moving means is returned to said receiving location.
 12. The mechanism according to claim 9 including: a housing located at said receiving location and having an opening shaped to receive passage of such a toner bag only if the bag is oriented to position the supporting means of the bag in proper cooperative relation with said elongated means of said apparatus.
 13. In electrographic apparatus, a mechanism for facilitating utilizing a rupturable bag of electrographic toner, which bag has a rigid elongated member secured to an upper extremity thereof with opposite end portions of the elongated member having support means thereon and which bag has an elongated lower extremity running in a direction transverse to its rigid elongated member, said mechanism comprising: a housing located on said apparatus and having an opening for passage of such bag, toner reservoir means located in said apparatus, a pair of rails located in said apparatus for supporting such bag by the support means of its rigid elongatEd member, said rails extending from a position below said opening to a position over said reservoir means, a saw located in said apparatus and mounted for rotation in a plane parallel to said rails, and means for moving a supported bag along said rails from a position under said opening so that the lower extremity of the supported bag moves into and through gradual engagement between the lower extremity of the supported bag and said saw and onto a position over said reservoir means thereby emptying toner in the supported bag into said reservoir means. 